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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848485">clowns, and other aspects of true love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumdum69/pseuds/dumdum69'>dumdum69</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SK8 the Infinity (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff and Humor, IGNORING CANON after ep 7 lmfao, M/M, THIS IS STUPID AND CRACKY AND FLUFFY I HOPE YALL LIKE IT!!!!!!!, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, WARNING FOR CLOWNS not like scary clowns at ALL but clowns for sure, this was so much fun to write hehe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:22:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,873</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848485</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumdum69/pseuds/dumdum69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"There's someone important, and I... wanted to do something for them. To show them how I feel about them," he says slowly, looking at Reki. </p><p>Reki's eyebrows furrow, and his tongue darts out, swiping at the scarred divot of his bottom lip. Langa wants to put his thumb in that spot, feel the ridge, map it to memory. He instead settles for just looking. </p><p>"Oh," Reki says, swallowing audibly. Langa watches him, the tense bob of his Adam's apple. He's not sure what he's waiting for Reki to say, but he's waiting nonetheless. </p><p>"I didn't realize you had someone, uh, like that," Reki says. It's oddly composed, like he's trying to sound diplomatic. Langa feels like he's missing something. </p><p>"Yeah," Langa says.<br/>____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</p><p>a.k.a Langa becomes a party clown for hire, and Reki is hopelessly in love</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>308</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>clowns, and other aspects of true love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>OK HI YALL IM HERE WITH A SK8 FIC!!!!!!!! i watched all 8 eps of sk8 that are out and cried so hard &amp; promptly decided to totally ignore canon &amp; write a fic so HERE YALL GO!!!!!</p><p>i really hope yall enjoy reading it hehe ♡♡♡ as always, comments &amp; kudos are DEEPLY appreciated!!!! </p><p> <a href="https://twitter.com/dumdum692">my twitter</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">"I have a job now," Langa announces one day on the rooftop. He sounds ambivalent about it, eyebrows furrowed, dropping a ham and cheese sandwich and a stubby milk carton onto Reki's lap.</p><p class="p1">"A job?" Reki asks, raising his eyebrows and unwrapping the sandwich slowly.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," Langa says, sitting down next to Reki and unwrapping his own sandwich at the same pace as Reki.</p><p class="p1">"What kind of job?" Reki asks, eyes narrowing in suspicion. It's wholly justified - knowing Langa, he's either accidentally become a dark web hitman, or a mattress tester and there's absolutely no in between.</p><p class="p1">"It's above minimum wage," Langa says, pulling out the slice of cheese from his sandwich and tearing it up into small pieces on the saran wrap.</p><p class="p1">"<em>Christ,</em>" Reki murmurs, aghast - Langa pillages his cheese in this manner every day, and the sight is never <em>not</em> nasty.</p><p class="p1">"It's better this way. You should try it sometime," Langa says sincerely, the way he does every day after Reki berates him for his cheese habits. Reki's certainly not a highbrow guy by any means, but even <em>he </em>knows that's disgusting. Langa eats this way, and yet has the audacity to mock him for wearing Axe Body Spray, the absolute barbarian.</p><p class="p1">"No, that's awful - seriously, maybe I should ask my mom to start making you bentos too or something," Reki says, crinkling his nose up in disgust.</p><p class="p1">Langa has the gall to look <em>touched</em> by this, his blue eyes glittering.</p><p class="p1">"Really?" he asks, and Reki whacks him on the shoulder.</p><p class="p1">"It's for <em>my</em> sake, jackass. The way you eat is <em>disgusting</em>," he says, and Langa frowns, looking pensive at his torn up cheese. For what, Reki doesn't know.</p><p class="p1">"Anyways, what's your job?" Reki asks, nudging Langa's elbow. He's legitimately curious to know - Langa does the odd job at the skate shop, but it sounds like Langa has squirreled away a real, steady part-time job .</p><p class="p1">Langa shrugs, taking a prim nibble of his cheese.</p><p class="p1">"Wh - you don't know what your job is?!" Reki asks, genuinely mildly panicked, because oh <em>God</em>, what has Langa gotten himself into this time? He leans forward, grabbing Langa by the shoulder, forcing him to look Reki in the eyes.</p><p class="p1">"Dude!" he says, and Langa shrugs again. He swallows his cheese, and blinks at Reki.</p><p class="p1">"No, I-I know what my job is, Reki," Langa says, sounding confused by Reki's concern.</p><p class="p1">"Okay, so what is it?" Reki asks, sighing deeply. This<em> boy</em>.</p><p class="p1">Langa frowns.</p><p class="p1">"It's a secret," he decides on saying after a few seconds of silence.</p><p class="p1">"Are you shitting me?" Reki asks.</p><p class="p1">Langa's frown deepens.</p><p class="p1">"No, I'm not shitting you," he says plainly, and Reki groans.</p><p class="p1">"Whatever," he says, thunking his head against the brick wall, and Langa cocks his head to the side, his silky hair falling into his eyes. Reki's not even sure how it looks as soft as it does, given that Langa uses literal five-in-one dog shampoo. Langa gently blows a puff of air, and his hair flutters up like a ribbon, and he stretches his legs out, leaning back on his elbows on the concrete rooftop.</p><p class="p1">Langa's shirt rises up an inch with the movement, and his pants are a little too low, and Reki has to literally <em>tear </em>his eyes away from the ridge of near-translucent skin that's revealed.</p><p class="p1">"Oh! I saw something last night that made me think of you," Langa says, looking at Reki with earnest eyes, and whatever mild annoyance Reki had felt towards him literally <em>melts</em> away.</p><p class="p1">"Really?" Reki says excitedly, leaning forward so that he's hovering over Langa's chest, and Langa nods, reaching into his pocket.</p><p class="p1">"See? It looks like your board, kind of," Langa says, dangling a little orange skateboard keychain in the air, mottled with little red and blue patterns. It <em>does</em> look like Reki's board - he's honestly pretty impressed that Langa found it, and kind of pleased that Langa did something so thoughtful for him.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, it totally does, Langa!" Reki exclaims, pressing his body on top of Langa, practically laying on top of him to get a better look at the keychain. Reki would usually feel a little more hesitant to be so all-over someone, but it's <em>Langa</em>, you know? It just doesn't make sense to <em>not</em> touch him, given how close they are. Reki kind of can't really help himself - there's something<em> awfully</em> fascinating about Langa and the way he moves, rapid and untouchable like a lightning storm, and the way all of his bruises and scars and flexing muscles feel, all hard and tender and warm under Reki's hands. It's genuinely a nonsexual thing, at least partially - it's just that Langa is so goddamn<em> interesting</em>, just like Reki and so damn different from him at the same time.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," Langa says. His voice sounds slightly strained, and oh <em>geez</em>, Reki's probably kind of suffocating him by laying all over him, huh? He quickly moves off of Langa, and stares admiringly at the keychain.</p><p class="p1">"Here," Langa says, dropping it into Reki's hand.</p><p class="p1">"Seriously?" Reki gasps, turning it over in his palm. "Dude, you didn't have to do that!" he says, thumbing at the smooth surface of the little keychain and grinning up at Langa.</p><p class="p1">Langa's face reddens slightly - he's so pale that any sort of a blush is blatant on him - and he smiles slightly at Reki.</p><p class="p1">"I didn't get you anything, though!" Reki says, and Langa shakes his head, shrugging.</p><p class="p1">"Wait, did you get this with the money from your new job?" he asks, and Langa nods.</p><p class="p1">"You should've spent that on yourself! Or your mom!" Reki scolds halfheartedly, and Langa cocks his head to the side.</p><p class="p1">"I just happened to see it," he says simply. "It's for you."</p><p class="p1">Reki grins, and lays down on top of Langa, wrapping his arms around him in a makeshift hug. Langa stiffens for a moment, before wrapping his arms back around Reki.</p><p class="p1">"Thanks, Langa," Reki mumbles into his uniform jacket - he swears he can hear Langa's heartbeat in this position, thumping loud and steady in Reki's ear.</p><p class="p1">Langa doesn't say anything, just breathing softly into Reki's hair, his hands warm and broad on Reki's back.</p><p class="p1">After a few seconds, Reki extricates himself from the blissful warmth of Langa's arms, and pockets the keychain.</p><p class="p1">"So, do you have work today?" Reki asks, leaning back and Langa looks slightly nervous at the question. <em>Oh</em>. Oh, that makes Reki very suspicious.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, yeah," Langa says, looking away from Reki.</p><p class="p1">"Langa," Reki says.</p><p class="p1">"Reki," Langa says, unable to hide the slight note of anxiety in his voice.</p><p class="p1">"Why are you being so goddamn dodgy about your job?" Reki asks, and Langa stiffens.</p><p class="p1">"I'm not," he tries, and Reki leans down so his face is directly over Langa's.</p><p class="p1">"Are too!" Reki says.</p><p class="p1">"Am not," Langa insists.</p><p class="p1">"Are <em>too</em>!" Reki says, shoving his nose up against Langa's, and Langa's face reddens. He sighs deeply, turning away from Reki.</p><p class="p1">"I'm working a normal job, I swear," Langa says.</p><p class="p1">"I never said it wasn't normal," Reki says, inching forward so he's directly over Langa's head again and squinting suspiciously.</p><p class="p1">"Uh," Langa says intelligently, and Reki crashes their foreheads together. Langa's is burning, and Reki wonders vaguely if he's catching a cold.</p><p class="p1">"Are you doing something really stupid that's going to get you hurt?" Reki asks, and Langa's body relaxes at the question. <em>Good</em>, Reki thinks. Even if Langa's being weird about things, if he's being careful, that's all that ultimately matters to Reki.</p><p class="p1">"No," Langa says confidently, and Reki pulls away from him.</p><p class="p1">"Fine by me then," Reki says, taking a hearty chomp of his sandwich. "If you won't tell me, I'll just figure it out my own way." </p><p class="p1">Langa's staring at him from the ground with wide, sky blue eyes, hair pushed out of his forehead, cheeks red like he's been running. Reki tries to ignore his persistent gaze, instead focusing on his sandwich - wait, <em>ew</em>, are those pickles? He'll have to give those to Langa.</p><p class="p1">"I'll tell you eventually," Langa says, after a few seconds. "Just - I can't now, okay?" he says, scrabbling up onto his elbows, looking at Reki with sincere, honest-to-God desperation on his face, and Reki feels like he's missing a critical part of this conversation.</p><p class="p1">"Dude I - <em>no</em>, it's fine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Reki mumbles, looking down. "I was just joking," he says weakly, and Langa stares him down, eyes flaring intensely at Reki. Reki feels like he's being stripped bare by Langa's strong gaze - it's the same way Langa sometimes looks when he's skating, that slow, hot, blue fire burn.</p><p class="p1">"No, I will," Langa promises, "just not now."</p><p class="p1">Reki raises an eyebrow at that. Now he's <em>unbearably</em> curious about what Langa does for a job.</p><p class="p1">"I mean, okay, man," he says, shrugging. "Whatever you want."</p><p class="p1">Langa relaxes back onto the ground, and takes out the ham slice from his sandwich.</p><p class="p1">"<em>Beast</em>," Reki says with faux-disgust, and Langa hums mildly at the barb, looking significantly happier now.</p><p class="p1">Reki wonders why, taking a bite of his sandwich and looking up at the sky. The color of hydrangeas, the color of pools. The color of Langa's eyes. Only good things are sky blue, in Reki's opinion.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Langa really doesn't like his new job.</p><p class="p1">Correction: he despises it. Reviles it. Loathes it. Detests it.</p><p class="p1">And yet, he has to do it if he wants money.</p><p class="p1">He sweats in his costume, and a child tugs at his leg. He's never been good with children - he's an only child, and outside of costume, kids usually think he's kind of weird and scary.</p><p class="p1">Good thing, that instead of being Langa Hasegawa, he's "Klammy the Klown" right now, a crustacean themed clown character who is shockingly popular amongst elementary school children in the area. Langa knows he would've hated such a presence as a child - clowns are terrifying, and generally of bad moral standing. But... kids are really weird, and he really doesn't understand them, and he honestly doesn't think he ever will, because apparently they <em>love</em> Klammy the Klown.</p><p class="p1">He's not even sure if there's a franchise associated with Klammy the Klown, or if Klammy the Klown is a free lancer of sorts - when he joined the party entertaining company, he wasn't given any backstory on Klammy. They just threw the costume at him, gave him a list of songs, and sent him on his way. He's not even sure why all of these children seem to know about Klammy, and on top of that, why they all feel so damn fondly of Klammy - he's literally covered in sloppy elementary schooler kisses right now, a combination of spit and milk and cake-y throw up on his shoes. It's <em>wonderful</em>.</p><p class="p1">"Klammy, sing us the Klammy the Klown's Krazy Krusty Kamping Song!" the child squeals, pulling sharply at his arm. Langa hisses slightly in pain, and sighs deeply. The job is shockingly tough too, partially because Langa's Japanese is already limited, and children aren't exactly articulate, and partially because Langa has to memorize all these strange rhymes. He has a hard enough time with school, but now he has to remember all of this crap too, you know? It really, really, <em>really</em> blows.</p><p class="p1">"Um," Langa starts weakly, and the child immediately looks slightly disappointed. <em>It's his birthday, Langa</em>, he reminds himself, <em>you have to make him happy</em>. <em>You signed up for this</em>, he thinks, gritting his teeth.</p><p class="p1">But truthfully? Langa wouldn't have taken this job if it weren't for Reki.</p><p class="p1">It's not <em>directly</em> Reki's fault of course, but he was at Reki's house, and caught a brief glimpse inside Reki's mom's little planner, and lo and behold, Reki's birthday is in two weeks.</p><p class="p1">And honestly? Reki's the first real friend Langa has ever had, actually.</p><p class="p1">Reki, and his fiery hair and his golden eyes, and the way he chews on his pencils, and taps his fingers on his thighs, and how he has a divot in his bottom lip from when he busted it the first time he tried to skate, and how Reki's knuckles are smooth, because he uses strawberry scented hand cream ("I know, I know, it's chick shit," he had mumbled, cheeks red as he spread some on Langa's cracked, scarred-from-frostbite fingers), and how he uses an overpowering amount of Axe Body Spray because he thinks it'll impress girls, but in reality it just makes him smell like a headache, and how he still has Langa's old snowboarding thermal from the time they got caught in the rain on the way to his house, and he'll wear it sometimes under his school uniform.</p><p class="p1">And the thermal is a little too big for Reki, because Langa's got nearly three inches and thirty pounds of snowboarding muscle on him, but Reki's all wiry limbs, so his arms are long enough for his thumbs to fit into the holes, and something about that, about the way the shirt smells like Reki and his strawberry hand cream and that awful, spicy mix of body odor and Axe Body Spray that's unique to Reki, about the way Reki wears that shirt like it's always been his own, about Reki's thumbs popping out of the thumb holes like they belong there, seems just so terribly, horribly, awfully <em>wonderful</em> to Langa. </p><p class="p1">So naturally, Langa wants to give Reki something amazing for his birthday, because Reki's his best friend, you know? Something that expresses just how truly, massively important Reki is to him.</p><p class="p1">"For Reki," Langa murmurs under his breath, and he starts to sing the unholy tune at the top of his lungs, utilizing every last ounce of his extremely minimal musical talent to make the children go wild.</p><p class="p1">"Mister Klammy!" a child shrieks once he finishes the song, leaping directly onto his head - how the <em>hell</em> do small children get that much air? The child on his back is maybe two feet tall, and Langa is six feet tall. He vaguely wonders whether studying the movement of children might improve his skateboarding, until the child pulls sharply at his hair.</p><p class="p1">He hisses, and the child cackles.</p><p class="p1">"Yes?" Langa asks, "Kiddo?" he tacks on at the end, to sound friendly and appealing.</p><p class="p1">"Give me your hair!" the child shrieks incoherently into his ear, and Langa nearly tips over from the force of the yell. That's some definite ear damage right there.</p><p class="p1">"I can't give you that," he says, trying not to sound as miffed as he feels, and the child tugs even harder at his hair.</p><p class="p1">"GIVE ME!" they squeal, and Langa sighs deeply.</p><p class="p1">"It's - it's attached to my head, I can't -"</p><p class="p1">"<em>GIVE ME!</em>" the child wails, and oh <em>no</em>, are those tears? Those are <em>tears</em>, Langa realizes in horror.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You make a kid cry, you get the boot, Hasegawa</em>," his boss had told him, picking at his ear and flicking it disdainfully in Langa's direction.</p><p class="p1">And oh, the sheer <em>hubris</em> Langa had had when he had first been told that, scoffing at his boss, thinking "<em>I won't make a child cry. I'd have to do something really awful for that to happen. I'm not a monster." </em></p><p class="p1">Well, guess what? Apparently, Langa <em>is</em> a monster, and it's all because he won't give a child his hair.</p><p class="p1">The boot is imminent, he realizes, as the child's mother locks eyes with him, notes their child crying and pulling at his scalp, and stalks over to him.</p><p class="p1">"Klammy," she says sharply, and Langa winces as the child rips at his hair.</p><p class="p1">"Yes, ma'am?" he asks weakly.</p><p class="p1">"My child is <em>upset</em>," she says pointedly, as though Langa can do anything about that.</p><p class="p1">The child sobs loudly, still gripping tightly onto Langa's hair like the reins of a horse, and leans their chubby face against Langa's head.</p><p class="p1">"Hair," they whine tearfully, "Gimme hair,"</p><p class="p1">"<em>Oh</em>, you want Klammy's hair, sweetie?" the mother coos, extricating her child gently off of Langa's scalp. Langa lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and the mother glares at him.</p><p class="p1">The child nods miserably, and hiccups.</p><p class="p1">"Come on, baby, we'll find a <em>better</em> Klammy who <em>will</em> give you his hair," she says, sniffing haughtily at Langa, as though asking Langa for his hair is a perfectly reasonable request, and Langa is being uptight by refusing to do it.</p><p class="p1">"<em>For Reki</em>," Langa thinks, massaging his scalp with his gloved hands. "<em>I'm doing this for Reki</em>,"</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">He gets the call not even two minutes after he starts skating home. It's surprisingly not difficult to skate in these humungous clown shoes.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You're fired</em>," his boss says as soon as he picks up.</p><p class="p1">"I know," Langa says, sighing deeply.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You know, it's a shame, kid. You really could've made it far in the party clown business. You have moxie, you know?</em>" his boss says, sounding genuinely disappointed.</p><p class="p1">Langa doesn't know.</p><p class="p1">"I know," he says, just to be polite.</p><p class="p1">"<em>I mean, you were the best Klammy I'd seen in, what, nearly two decades? Dare I say it, kid, but... you practically revolutionized Klammy,</em>" his boss continues.</p><p class="p1">That's the worst thing Langa's ever heard someone say about him.</p><p class="p1">"Oh," he says.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You know, you remind me a lot of myself</em>," his boss says.</p><p class="p1">Scratch that, <em>that's</em> the worst thing Langa's ever heard someone say about him.</p><p class="p1">"Oh," he says again, unsure of how to respond to that.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You've got that... fire in your eyes, you know? I can tell you really feel passionately about the art of party clowning. But it's a fine line you're walking, let me warn you. The amount of party clowners I've seen, who get in too deep with the business, and next thing you know, they're blasted out of their minds. Women, drugs, money, sex, booze, just, you know, hanging off the side of a bridge, doing speedballs and-</em>" his boss begins.</p><p class="p1">"My mother is calling," Langa interrupts hurriedly, before he can learn about the tragic future ahead of him if he continues on as a party clown.</p><p class="p1">"<em>Fine</em>," his boss grumbles, hanging up. The dead line beeps, and Langa sighs deeply.</p><p class="p1">And then he hears a scream, and a thud.</p><p class="p1">Langa stops his board, and turns around, and oh, <em>mother of fucking God, </em>that's Reki, on the ground, pointing shakily at him.</p><p class="p1">And he's standing here in full clown makeup and costume.</p><p class="p1">Here's the thing: it's not so much that Langa is embarrassed to be seen this way, so much as that he's disappointed. He had really wanted to surprise Reki for his birthday, but now he's lost his job, and on top of that, Reki's finding him in this pathetic state.</p><p class="p1">"I can explain," Langa grumbles, and Reki shrieks again.</p><p class="p1">"Clown!" he wails. "It's a clown! They're real! Clowns are REAL!" Reki yells, scrambling and backing up against the fence.</p><p class="p1">"What?" Langa asks. He's a clown, not a ghost, of course he's real.</p><p class="p1">"Y - you can talk?" Reki asks, face white as a sheet.</p><p class="p1">"Reki, it's me," Langa says, squatting down, and Reki yelps, pressing himself further against the wall, looking close to tears.</p><p class="p1">"Who's me? How do you know my name?" Reki asks, glaring at him and quivering. </p><p class="p1">"It's Langa," he says, and Reki freezes.</p><p class="p1">One second passes, then two, then three.</p><p class="p1">And then Reki bursts into tearful laughter, slamming his fist on the ground and shrieking.</p><p class="p1">Langa sighs deeply.</p><p class="p1">"This is why you didn't want to tell me about your job, huh?!" Reki says, gasping through laughter. He wheezes, pounding his fist on the pavement.</p><p class="p1">Langa frowns, looking down at his oversized clown shoes, and Reki looks up at him, grinning widely.</p><p class="p1">"Dude, I can't believe you're a freaking <em>clown</em>," Reki screeches.</p><p class="p1">"Party clown," Langa mumbles absentmindedly, and that sends Reki into another fit of laughter.</p><p class="p1">"Wha - why? Why did you decide to become a party clown?" Reki asks, and Langa shrugs.</p><p class="p1">"I got fired, anyways," he says, sitting down on the ground next to Reki and pulling off his big red clown nose. It honks sadly as he throws it to the ground. Reki picks it up and examines it, giving it an experimental squeeze.</p><p class="p1">"Wow," Reki says, looking awestruck, "Do you get to keep this?"</p><p class="p1">"No," Langa says. "I don't."</p><p class="p1">"Why'd they fire you?" he asks, and Langa groans, placing his head in his hands.</p><p class="p1">"A kid wanted my hair and I said no," Langa says plainly, and Reki raises both eyebrows.</p><p class="p1">"Your... hair? And they fired you for that?" he asks, and Langa nods.</p><p class="p1">"Jesus, that sucks," Reki mumbles, placing his hand on top of Langa's bright red, gloved one.</p><p class="p1">"It's okay," Langa says, taking his hand out from under Reki's and removing his gloves. If they're going to hold hands, Langa wants to feel it properly, goddammit.</p><p class="p1">He places his hand back on top of Reki's, and slides his thumb over the bruise on the knuckle of his ring finger, tender and soft, like overripe fruit.</p><p class="p1">"You're rocking the clown costume, if that helps," Reki says, grinning fondly at Langa, his eyes glowing gold in the lowlight, fluffy hair flaming.</p><p class="p1">"Thanks," Langa says drily. He'd be deeply annoyed hearing that from anyone else, but somehow, it's... <em>nice </em>hearing it from Reki.</p><p class="p1">"Why did you become a - a party clown though, Langa? Couldn't you have... I don't know, worked in retail, or something?" Reki asks, frowning slightly at Langa.</p><p class="p1">"It pays better," Langa says, shrugging.</p><p class="p1">Reki honks the clown nose at Langa, and Langa shudders at the offensive sound.</p><p class="p1">"Seriously? You'd put yourself through hell <em>just</em> for a little bit more pocket change?" Reki asks disbelievingly.</p><p class="p1">Langa sinks down against the fence, and rocks his skateboard back and forth with his toes, the clown shoes squeaking abrasively with the motion.</p><p class="p1">"There's someone important, and I... wanted to do something for them. To show them how I feel about them," he says slowly, looking at Reki.</p><p class="p1">Reki's eyebrows furrow, and his tongue darts out, swiping at the scarred divot of his bottom lip. Langa wants to put his thumb in that spot, feel the ridge, map it to memory. He instead settles for just looking.</p><p class="p1">"Oh," Reki says, swallowing audibly. Langa watches him, the tense bob of his Adam's apple. He's not sure what he's waiting for Reki to say, but he's waiting nonetheless.</p><p class="p1">"I didn't realize you had someone, uh, like that," Reki says. It's oddly composed, like he's trying to sound diplomatic. Langa feels like he's missing something.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," Langa says.</p><p class="p1">Reki opens his mouth, like he's searching for something to say, then closes it. Opens it again, then closes it again.</p><p class="p1">"What?" Langa asks bluntly.</p><p class="p1">"Who is it?" Reki blurts, breathing deeply after he's said it. "I-I mean, I'm just curious," he adds hurriedly.</p><p class="p1">"Oh," Langa says, "it's a secret." Can't go around telling Reki that he's trying to plan something for Reki's own damn birthday now, can he?</p><p class="p1">And for a split second, just a small fraction, Reki looks absolutely crestfallen, his sunny face splitting into storm clouds.</p><p class="p1">"Oh," Reki says. "Well, I'm sure whatever you end up doing, it'll be great! You're a great guy, Langa, anyone would feel so happy to receive something like that from you," he says, smiling at Langa. There's something flat behind it that Langa can't quite place, but maybe he's just imagining it.</p><p class="p1">Thunder rolls in the distance, and Reki hops up, looking spooked.</p><p class="p1">"Let's get going, yeah?" he says, offering a hand to Langa.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," Langa says, letting Reki pull him up, and kicking his skateboard in front of him. "Let's go."</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Langa has a <em>what</em>?" Shadow hisses, squeezing the bouquet of flowers in his burly hands just a little too tightly.</p><p class="p1">"A <em>girl</em>!" Reki yells, slamming his hands on the counter. An elderly man turns and glares at him, and Reki grins apologetically at him, mouthing "Sorry."</p><p class="p1">"Don't scare my customers!" Shadow scolds, ushering over to soothe the startled elderly man.</p><p class="p1">Reki groans, dropping his head onto the counter, running his hands through his hair.</p><p class="p1">Shadow returns after a few minutes, sighing deeply.</p><p class="p1">"Okay, so, Langa has a girl he likes and...?" he asks, primly watering some forget-me-nots.</p><p class="p1">"He never told me that! And I don't even know who she is! To be honest, I can't really see Langa with any of the girls in our class, though - do you think she's American? Does he have a secret sexy American girlfriend?" Reki screeches, leaning forward, and Shadow grimaces.</p><p class="p1">"Christ, do you like, bathe in Axe or something? You smell like shit," Shadow says, pinching his nostrils, and Reki wails, dropping his entire upper body on the counter.</p><p class="p1">"He has a sexy American girlfriend with huge boobs and a cowboy hat, and I smell like shit," he says weakly, and Shadow sighs.</p><p class="p1">"Look, I know he's the love of your life and all, but it's... not like you've ever made a move on him or anything. There's no way he'd know how you feel," Shadow says.</p><p class="p1">Reki frowns, looking up at Shadow.</p><p class="p1">"What?" he asks dumbly, and Shadow raises an eyebrow.</p><p class="p1">"Are you joking?" he growls, and Reki's frown deepens.</p><p class="p1">"Uh... no?" he says, cocking his head to the side, and Shadow groans, pinching his nosebridge.</p><p class="p1">"Fuckin' stupid clueless <em>kids</em>," he grumbles, and he immediately turns away to a customer. Reki glares at him, sticking out his tongue.</p><p class="p1">"Old man!" he yells pettily. Shadow ignores him, smiling beatifically at the customer.</p><p class="p1">"Not stupid. Not clueless," he mumbles defensively to nobody but himself.</p><p class="p1">He has a terrible, foreboding feeling that he is indeed both of these things.</p><p class="p1">When he arrives at S that evening, his worst fears are confirmed.</p><p class="p1">Langa's late, he notices first thing - usually, Langa would come with him, but he said his mom needed help with a few errands, so Reki came on his own.</p><p class="p1">He's greeted by Joe, leaning against the wall, and shockingly not swarmed by women yet.</p><p class="p1">"Hey," Joe nods, and Reki nods back. He's a little intimidated by Joe and Cherry, truth be told, but Joe is at least pretty friendly.</p><p class="p1">"Where's your other half?" Joe asks, grinning slightly.</p><p class="p1">"Probably with his girlfriend," Reki mumbles, passive-aggressive without even meaning to be, and he freezes at his own tone. <em>Oh</em>.</p><p class="p1">Joe's grin widens, and he raises both his eyebrows.</p><p class="p1">"You, uh... sound unhappy," he says, and Reki groans.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," he says, kicking at some dust. "I am," he admits.</p><p class="p1">"I didn't know Langa had a girlfriend," Joe says, looking contemplative.</p><p class="p1">"No, he, uh... doesn't yet, I don't think. He told me he wants to confess to someone," Reki says, looking down at his shoes.</p><p class="p1">"Did he say who?" Joe asks, looking curious. Reki's surprised he's even interested in his problems, to be honest.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, no. Just that he wanted to show someone how he felt about them," he said shrugging.</p><p class="p1">Joe hums at that.</p><p class="p1">"So you assumed from that, that he must have a girl in his sight, huh?" he asks pointedly, and Reki's eyebrows shoot up.</p><p class="p1">"I-" he sputters, and Joe laughs, loud and booming.</p><p class="p1">"Get it together, kid," he says, pushing off the wall and skating towards a small group of women.</p><p class="p1">Stupid and clueless, Reki's brain rings out. There's <em>definitely</em> something he's missing.</p><p class="p1">Langa arrives a few minutes later, sliding up smoothly next to Reki.</p><p class="p1">"Did I miss anything yet?" he asks, kicking his board up into his hands. His hands are rough, Reki notices, all cracked like dragon scales, and calloused from years being exposed to cold, harsh weather.</p><p class="p1">"Dude, do you want moisturizer?" he asks, fishing around in his pocket.</p><p class="p1">Langa raises an eyebrow. "Uh, sure, why not?" he says, sticking his hands out.</p><p class="p1">"Here, I got a kiwi-scented one for you, actually. It's more your vibe, I think," Reki says, squeezing out some hand cream onto his palms and rubbing it between them to warm it up. Langa nods sincerely.</p><p class="p1">He hears a snicker from the distance, and sees Shadow and Miya pointing at them and laughing. Reki sticks his tongue out, and turns back to Langa, who doesn't seem to have noticed the mockery from their so-called "friends". Jackasses.</p><p class="p1">He takes Langa's hands in his own, and smooths the cream across them, running his fingers through the gaps between Langa's own, pressing his thumbs deeply into the scarred skin of Langa's palms, right over the bruise on his wrist, where he can feel Langa's pulse, the steady thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat. </p><p class="p1">He looks up, and Langa is staring straight at him, his sharp jaw tensed, his messy hair curling up around his throat like burnt paper. Like he could consume Reki whole with the fire behind his eyes, like he'd <em>want</em> to consume Reki whole, melt Reki down with his heat.</p><p class="p1">And funnily enough, Reki thinks he might want that from Langa, looking down under Langa's gaze, his fingernail trailing across the big blue vein under the translucent skin of Langa's wrist.</p><p class="p1">Langa opens his mouth, and the starting bell rings.</p><p class="p1">Reki drops Langa's hand like it burns, and whips around.</p><p class="p1">"The race!" Langa yells excitedly.</p><p class="p1">"The race," Reki whispers.</p><p class="p1">Stupid and clueless, Reki thinks.</p><p class="p1">When he skates back home, he realizes that he doesn't even remember who was racing that night - all he remembers is Langa's eyes on his, white hot and ice blue, searing into Reki's brain like a brand.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">"I need my job back," Langa says, standing in his ex-boss's office. It smells bitter, like coffee and something rotten. The halogen bulb flickers miserably at Langa.</p><p class="p1">His boss growls, taking a slow puff from his cigarette.</p><p class="p1">"You need it back? Or you want it back?" he asks, squinting at Langa.</p><p class="p1">Langa's not sure what he's asking.</p><p class="p1">"I - uh... both, I guess?" he offers. It's not true, but his boss seems satisfied.</p><p class="p1">"Tell you what, I can't give you Klammy the Klown, because I already got a new guy doing him. You can be Chompy the Cheese Whiz, though," he says, pushing forward a manila folder labeled "CHOMPY" at him.</p><p class="p1">"Chompy the Cheese Whiz," Langa says, voice shrouded in disbelief. What kind of a being is that? </p><p class="p1">"You got a problem with Chompy, kid? You think you're too good for Chompy?" his boss asks, voice rising in pitch.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, no, I-" Langa starts, leaning back.</p><p class="p1">"You getting too big for your britches, boy? Think you're some kind of a fuckin' superstar because you pulled off a better Klammy than I've ever seen in my forty years of party clowning? Think you're the David fuckin' Blaine of party clowning? Think again, motherfucker," he growls, and Langa blinks at the sudden aggression. </p><p class="p1">"Uh, I'm very sorry, sir," he says, not sure what he's even apologizing for.</p><p class="p1">"You're not sorry, damn it," his boss growls, and Langa opens his mouth to insist.</p><p class="p1">"But I like that about you, kid," he cuts Langa off.</p><p class="p1">Langa's never been more confused in his life.</p><p class="p1">"You've got confidence. You've got style. You're just like me," his boss says.</p><p class="p1">"So, Chompy," Langa says quickly, before his boss can launch into a monologue about his youth.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, Chompy the Cheese Whiz. You've got a gig at four, tomorrow, at this address," he says, sliding a stained piece of paper towards Langa across the table, looking around like they might be getting watched. As though it matters if they are being watched, Langa thinks, it's a fucking party clown business for Christ's sake.</p><p class="p1">"Got it," Langa says. "Thank you, sir."</p><p class="p1">"Don't thank me, thank the kids. They're the little fuckers holding our lives in a noose, know what I'm saying?" his boss says, chuckling darkly.</p><p class="p1">Langa doesn't know what he's saying.</p><p class="p1">"Right," he says doubtfully. "So, I'll just..." he nods towards the door, and his boss waves a hand.</p><p class="p1">"Get outta here, you filthy fuckin' animal," he says, and Langa grabs his skateboard and hastily runs out the door, shoving the address into his pocket.</p><p class="p1">Weird guy, Langa thinks. Very weird guy.</p><p class="p1">He escapes outside of the building, and Reki, thank God for Reki, is standing outside, grinning at Langa, all big, white teeth and golden, sunset tan, and Langa immediately feels his heartbeat steady.</p><p class="p1">"Did you get your job back?" he asks, and Langa nods.</p><p class="p1">"Sort of. I'm now Chompy the Cheese Whiz," he says, showing Reki the folder.</p><p class="p1">Reki squints at the manila folder.</p><p class="p1">"C-chompy?" he asks, sounding just as baffled as Langa feels.</p><p class="p1">"Kids like it," Langa says, although he knows that's not a satisfactory explanation.</p><p class="p1">"Really? My little sisters would all hate this," Reki says, rifling through the folder with a grimace.</p><p class="p1">Langa shrugs, hopping onto his board, gliding smoothly next to Reki.</p><p class="p1">"Can't believe you're doing all of this just for a chick," Reki says, snorting.</p><p class="p1">"A chick?" Langa asks frowning.</p><p class="p1">"Or a guy," Reki says quickly. "I don't know, I mean, I assumed, but it's totally cool if it's a guy, too. I mean, I like guys, too. I also like chicks, but guys are great too, you know?"</p><p class="p1">"Oh," Langa says. He feels relieved knowing that Reki's not straight.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah. Yeah," Reki says, looking away. He shakes his head like a wet dog, and turns back to Langa.</p><p class="p1">"But, um... yeah, so, you must really like this person, huh? To be doing all this for them," Reki says, looking up at the sky.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, I do," Langa says, shrugging.</p><p class="p1">"That's really nice of you," Reki says quietly.</p><p class="p1">Langa hums in response.</p><p class="p1">They skate in silence for a few seconds. The sun begins to set, casting Reki's golden skin alight with pinks and purples.</p><p class="p1">"You done the math homework yet?" Reki asks, his hands in his pockets. He's not looking at Langa.</p><p class="p1">"No," Langa says. "I thought I could work on it with you. I don't really understand any of it," he admits.</p><p class="p1">Reki grins at him. "Yeah, okay, I can teach you," he says proudly, like he does every time he knows something Langa doesn't. Which is a lot, to be fair.</p><p class="p1">And it makes Langa happy, anyways, to see Reki proud of himself - he <em>deserves </em>it, you know?</p><p class="p1">They stumble into Reki's house a few minutes later, and Reki's mom immediately accosts them.</p><p class="p1">"Hi boys!" she squeals, leaning up to pinch at Langa's face.</p><p class="p1">His sister - third eldest, Langa thinks? - comes wandering up to them on unsteady feet and gargles some nonsense at them, tugging at Reki's hand. He kneels down, taking her small, chubby palms, pink like doves, in his own bruised, bony ones and plants a big, wet kiss on her forehead. She grins and yells, waving Reki's hands up and down, and he grins back at her. It's the same smile, Langa realizes - she barely has teeth, but she still has the same smile as Reki.</p><p class="p1">"You want cake?" she asks, already pulling out some little cakes in lace doilies and placing them in Reki's hands.</p><p class="p1">"Mom!" Reki protests half-heartedly.</p><p class="p1">"Hush, Reki, let Langa have some cake. He's too skinny, do they even <em>feed</em> you, dear?" she asks, half-scolding Langa.</p><p class="p1">"No," Langa says, eager for cake, and Reki groans, tipping his head back.</p><p class="p1">"C'mon, Langa, let's <em>go</em>," he says, wrapping his hand around Langa's wrist and dragging him to his room.</p><p class="p1">Reki throws his backpack on the floor, and flops down at his desk, setting down the cakes in front of them - Reki's room is messy, with stickers and posters coating the walls like a second skin. Vibrant, dynamic, just like Reki himself.</p><p class="p1">There's a cushion next to Reki at his desk - he moved it into his room from the kitchen just for Langa - and Langa sits down on it, pulling out his homework.</p><p class="p1">If Langa's being entirely honest, it's kind of difficult to get work done next to Reki. Reki puts in his headphones, and it's like he's in a whole other world, tapping on his thighs like he's playing the drums, bobbing his head, air-guitar-ing, his hair bouncing like tongues of a flame in the late afternoon sun,and oh, <em>God</em>, the pencil chewing.</p><p class="p1">The pencil chewing is what really gets Langa.</p><p class="p1">It's rhythmic - he taps, once, twice, thrice on the desk, then pops it into his mouth like licorice, wiggles it around with his tongue (up, down, up, down), bites, bites, bites, and then slides it back out between his knuckles and then does it all over again. And there's the scarred divot in his bottom lip, like the center of a tied ribbon, and that's where the pencil rests.</p><p class="p1">And Reki's white teeth, jagged at the edges from all the years of pencil chewing, are biting into the wood, and the wood of the pencil is pressed into the divot, causing both sides of his lips to puff up and Langa's hand reaches out and -</p><p class="p1">"<em>Dude</em>?" Reki says quietly, voice muffled around the pencil.</p><p class="p1">Langa realizes, a little too late, that his thumb is pressed against Reki's bottom lip, right under the juncture where the pencil wood meets the skin.</p><p class="p1">And Langa thoughtlessly rubs across the skin with his thumb, all pink and smooth, and the pencil falls out of Reki's mouth.</p><p class="p1">"Dude!" he croaks, and Langa blinks.</p><p class="p1"><em>Oh</em>. That was weird, wasn't it?</p><p class="p1">Langa brings up the rest of his hand to cradle the side of Reki's face, his thumb brushing Reki's bottom lip, and pointer finger just under the messy tail of Reki's eyebrow, palm pressed up against the line of Reki's jaw, which he can feel, tense and jumping underneath him.</p><p class="p1">Reki's golden eyes are wide, and his cheeks are burning underneath the chill of Langa's own skin.</p><p class="p1">"Langa, I... wha -"</p><p class="p1">"I don't understand trigonometry," Langa says. It's true; he really does need Reki's help if he doesn't want to fail math class.</p><p class="p1">Reki blinks, and literally deflates with a loud groan.</p><p class="p1">"You could've just asked me, what the hell was all that?" Reki asks, dropping his head into his hands and running them through his fluffy hair.</p><p class="p1">It wasn't that weird, in Langa's opinion. Reki touches him all the time, always looping his arm around Langa's, throwing an arm around his shoulders, practically laying on top of him.</p><p class="p1">And Langa always <em>wants</em> to touch Reki, let the heat of Reki's skin bleed into him, run his fingers over the sheen of sweat on his cheekbone, the taut, springing flex of his abs when he ollies onto a siderail, the glimmer of his white teeth, the ambrosia gold of his eyes - Langa wants all of it.</p><p class="p1">He wanted to, so he touched Reki - that's not so weird now, is it? He's pretty sure that's the same logic Reki uses to touch him.</p><p class="p1">Langa shrugs as a shorthand for all of this, and Reki sighs.</p><p class="p1">"Whatever, c'mere, let me help you," he says, beckoning Langa to scoot closer to him, and Langa obliges, their shoulders knocking together, Reki's soda-stained breath fluttering against his cheeks.</p><p class="p1">They finish the homework almost five hours later, Langa with a very minimal, but at least existent, understand of trig identities, and Reki absolutely exhausted from the momentous effort of trying to teach Langa math.</p><p class="p1">"Shower?" Reki asks, blinking blearily at Langa.</p><p class="p1">"Sleep," Langa groans, rubbing his hands over his eyes.</p><p class="p1">"Shower, then sleep," Reki concedes, pulling back from his seat and stretching.</p><p class="p1">He's gotten more muscular, Langa realizes, watching his shoulders flex and the jut of his tan hipbone peek out of the bottom of his sweatshirt.</p><p class="p1">"You go first," Reki says, jerking his head towards the bathroom, and Langa nods, pulling off his shirt and heading in.</p><p class="p1">Reki's bathroom is filled with all kinds of products - none of them good, Langa assumes, judging by the five different Axe Body Sprays he has sitting on the counter. There's an assortment of hair products too, because Reki's devil-may-care bedhead look apparently takes quite a bit of effort to produce, in actuality. Langa likes it when it's fully down too, though. It's softer, that way, like he's seeing a Reki that nobody else gets to see.</p><p class="p1">Something pleasant pulls in his stomach at the thought, and he shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts.</p><p class="p1">He's kind of unsure of what to use whenever he's in Reki's bathroom. Reki once told him about the order of hair products he should use, but he honestly can never remember - shampoo, conditioner, and then hair oil? Or does the hair oil come first? It doesn't really matter, Langa guesses, but he'll just stick to the shampoo to be safe. </p><p class="p1">He showers, and then steps out, wrapping a towel around his waist.</p><p class="p1">"Reki," he calls as he comes out, and Reki, without looking up, tosses a pile of clothes at him.</p><p class="p1">"Get dressed, Chompy," he says, and Langa frowns.</p><p class="p1">"Chompy," he repeats like an echo, and Reki looks up, grinning at him.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, Chompy," Reki says.</p><p class="p1">"What's Chompy?" Langa asks, and Reki snorts.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You're</em> Chompy, dumbass. Chompy the Cheese Whiz. That's your own damn job," he says, eyes trained with strange clarity on Langa as he slides on one of Reki's shirts.</p><p class="p1">"Oh," Langa says. He'll have to remember that, unfortunately.</p><p class="p1">"Wait, hey, that's your shirt, isn't it?" Reki asks, furrowing his brows.</p><p class="p1">Langa looks down - it's his thermal with the thumb holes, he realizes.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," he says, and Reki's face flushes.</p><p class="p1">"Oh God, I'm so sorry, I've been wearing that for like... weeks, now. It's just really comfy, and I forgot it was yours," he says, looking embarrassed, and Langa shakes his head.</p><p class="p1">"It's fine. I'm happy that you like it," he says, and Reki's eyebrows shoot up.</p><p class="p1">"Seriously?" he asks, and Langa shrugs.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, I mean, you can keep it," he says, and Reki's face reddens even further.</p><p class="p1">"Wow," he says, frowning at Langa. He's thinking about something - Langa just doesn't know what.</p><p class="p1">"Thanks, man," Reki says, looking at Langa like he's holding something back.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," Langa says. "Your turn to shower," he says, tossing his towel at Reki, and Reki grimaces.</p><p class="p1">'Gross," he says, but he slings the towel around his neck anyways, and heads into the bathroom. Langa blinks at him, and Reki turns around at the entrance of the bathroom, and sticks out his tongue.</p><p class="p1">"<em>So</em> gross," he says, and Langa sticks his tongue back out at him. Reki laughs, and shuts the door behind him.</p><p class="p1">Langa flops down on Reki's bed, warm and soft, and smelling of strawberries and something distinctly, indubitably, wonderfully Reki, and falls asleep within barely a minute.</p><p class="p1">He gets what he thinks is the best sleep of his life that night.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Reki gets the worst sleep of his life that night. </p><p class="p1">It's mainly because Langa is wrapped around him like a boa constrictor, his chest to Reki's back, heartbeat thumping against Reki's body like thunder, arms around Reki's stomach, right where his shirt has climbed up, Langa's fingers just barely brushing against his belly button.</p><p class="p1">And it's unbearably warm, with Langa's weight all pressed up behind him - they've slept like this before, but tonight, Reki is a <em>little</em> too conscious of Langa's hipbones jutting into him, the way his chest caves just <em>so </em>against Reki's spine, his minty breath on Reki's head.</p><p class="p1">Pressed against Reki tightly enough, that if Reki moves back, just an inch, he can feel -</p><p class="p1"><em>Stupid and clueless</em>, his brain chirps at him, <em>stupid and clueless</em>.</p><p class="p1">Langa shifts, pressing his mouth against the hair at the nape of Reki's neck, and Reki nearly screams.</p><p class="p1">The worst part is too, they wake up the next morning, and Langa seems like the cat that got the cream, looking more well rested than ever.</p><p class="p1">"Good morning, Reki," he says mildly, and Reki literally wants to kick him.</p><p class="p1">"Morning," he grunts, trying to avoid making eye contact with beatific Langa.</p><p class="p1">"Did you sleep well, Reki?" Langa asks, cocking his head to the side like an eager puppy.</p><p class="p1">"Hrmgh," Reki grumbles in reply.</p><p class="p1">"I see," Langa says, looking somewhat disappointed, and at that, Reki sighs.</p><p class="p1">"No, I slept fine," Reki says, rustling out his hair.</p><p class="p1">"Good," Langa says, smiling slightly at Reki, and <em>God</em>, Reki can't be annoyed at that now, can he?</p><p class="p1">They get up, getting ready for school while chit-chatting idly at each other - Reki's mom has left the house early, which is unusual, but she's got a bento for the both of them, both with "Have a good day!" notes on them, signed with a little heart.</p><p class="p1">The way Langa's eyes sparkle when he sees the bento is <em>unbelievable. </em></p><p class="p1">"My mom is the best, huh?" Reki says, puffing up with pride, and Langa smiles at him.</p><p class="p1">"Just like you," he says, cradling the bento in his hands like it's something precious, looking at it with utmost tenderness, and Reki nearly spits.</p><p class="p1">"Me?" he croaks, pointing at himself.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," Langa says, calm as ever. He glances up at the clock, and frowns.</p><p class="p1">"I think we're late for school, Reki," he says, looking back at Reki.</p><p class="p1">Reki looks up too, and oh <em>shit</em>, they are.</p><p class="p1">"Shit!" Reki exclaims, flipping his board up into his hands and darting out the door.</p><p class="p1">"C'mon, Chompy!" he says, and Langa sighs deeply, gliding right behind him.</p><p class="p1">Stupid and clueless, indeed.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Apparently, children <em>love</em> biting Chompy the Cheese Whiz. Langa can barely breath in the oversized cheese stick costume (that's right, Chompy is an anthropomorphic cheese stick) - it smells like cigarettes and burnt hair inside of it, and there's some gum stuck on the inside layer that Langa wasn't able to scrape off, so he's now forced to silently suffer with it sticking against his ribcage.</p><p class="p1">A child chomps on his arm, and Langa holds back a yelp of pain.</p><p class="p1">What was it that the folder said to say when children were causing him pain?</p><p class="p1">"Chompy, uh, is having an <em>owie</em>," Langa grits out.</p><p class="p1">The child looks up at him with watery eyes, sniffling and Langa freezes.</p><p class="p1">"But Chompy is okay now!" he hurriedly assures, not willing to lose his job over this, and the child nods, rubbing at her eyes.</p><p class="p1">"I'm sorry, Chompy," she says, looking oddly somber.</p><p class="p1">"Chompy says," he squints, trying to remember Chompy's horrible catchphrase, "don't worry, be cheesy-squeezy!"</p><p class="p1">Langa has no clue what that means, but the child immediately perks up, beaming widely at Langa.</p><p class="p1">"Cheesy-squeezy!" she squeals, and Langa nods.</p><p class="p1">"Cheesy-squeezy," he repeats blankly, and she screeches, launching herself like a nuclear projectile at him in excitement.</p><p class="p1">The Chompy costume, unfortunately, is much harder to maneuver in than the Klammy costume, and Langa falls over, unbalanced by the forty pound creature clinging to his neck.</p><p class="p1">Unfortunately, he falls right into the picnic table, which is laden with snacks, and it cracks in two with a loud slam, cheese dust and chocolate sauce spilling onto Langa's head. The Chompy costume, despite its weight and insulation, does nothing to cushion his fall, and he's pretty sure he's bleeding.</p><p class="p1">The child begins to wail, pounding her little fists on Langa's chest, and Langa groans, head thunking against the pavement, spots dancing in front of his vision. He hears yelling, and sees adult feet rushing towards him.</p><p class="p1">"For Reki," he mumbles, and immediately blacks out, chocolate sauce trailing down his nose.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">When he comes to, Langa sees his Chompy costume leaning menacingly against a wall. He looks down, and sees that he's laying in just his briefs on a couch that feels strangely familiar, an ice pack on his head.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, Langa, you good?" a voice warbles into his ear, and he groans, turning on his side.</p><p class="p1">"Langa," the voice repeats, and there's a tap on the shoulder.</p><p class="p1">"Whuzzit," he gargles, and turns back around, and is face to face with Reki's concerned face, red hair backlit by the sun in a fiery halo.</p><p class="p1">"Like an angel," he says, pawing at Reki's face with unsteady fingers, and Reki frowns.</p><p class="p1">"English," he says to Langa, the word rolling uncomfortably off his tongue.</p><p class="p1">Langa squints in confusion, and <em>oh</em>, Reki means he's speaking in English.</p><p class="p1">He grunts, and flips around to fully face Reki.</p><p class="p1">"Sorry," he says, switching back to Japanese with just a bit of confusion.</p><p class="p1">"Geez, who know you'd get more injured as a party clown than when you're skating?" Reki murmurs, wiping at Langa's throbbing head with a wet cloth.</p><p class="p1">"Sorry," Langa repeats again, reality slowly settling in.</p><p class="p1">"Wait, how did you find me?" he asks, squinting at Reki, his vision oddly blurry.</p><p class="p1">"I'm your emergency contact," Reki says, raising an eyebrow. "I have no clue why you'd put me, instead of your mom, but here we are,"</p><p class="p1"><em>Oh, right,</em> he <em>did</em> do that, Langa remembers. He had done that because he didn't want to stress his mom out, but he had also figured he wouldn't be getting into any accidents on the job, so it would never come up. Apparently he was wrong, though.</p><p class="p1">"Sorry," Langa says sheepishly.</p><p class="p1">"It's fine, dumbass," Reki says, grinning fondly down at Langa, a strand of his hair slipping out of his headband. Absentmindedly, Langa reaches up and brushes it back, and Reki's face flushes. Reki leans down, nearly brushing noses with Langa, and -</p><p class="p1">Langa's phone rings abrasively, and Reki jumps back about a foot.</p><p class="p1">"Shit, uh," he says, fumbling on the slippery counter for Langa's phone.</p><p class="p1">"Here," he says, tossing it to Langa after a few seconds of unholy ringing.</p><p class="p1">Langa groans, pushing himself upright, and Reki leans against the counter, crossing his arms.</p><p class="p1">"Hello?" he says.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You've got a lotta nerve, kid</em>," his boss growls into his ear.</p><p class="p1">"Sorry," Langa says, feeling not very sorry at all.</p><p class="p1">"<em>I fuckin' love it,</em>" his boss says. "<em>Seriously, you're a goddamn maniac, kid." </em></p><p class="p1">"Uh," Langa says, not sure how to respond to that.</p><p class="p1">"<em>Chompy suffering a serious injury at a party? That's fucking genius, given his tragic backstory and all. You're like the Batman of party clowns, kid. Absolute fucking maniac," </em>his boss says, chuckling into the phone.</p><p class="p1">"What," Langa says, out of sheer shock. The Batman of party clowns? What a horrible title to be bestowed with. Reki snorts next to him, smothering his mouth in vain.</p><p class="p1"><em>"Say, you have a lover, kid?</em>" his boss asks, and Langa nearly chokes.</p><p class="p1">"A- a lover?" he repeats, and Reki's brows shoot up. "A lover?" he mouths at Langa, and Langa shrugs furiously at him.</p><p class="p1">"<em>Someone you feel just</em>," his boss makes a vile hacking sound into the phone, that's apparently meant to represent an emotion. "<em>about someone, you get me? I feel that in your party-clowning, you know? Just the raw emotion of it. You're in love, kid. You're just like me. Yearning, but you don't even know it. Fucking tragic, really. Your accident today, that was a sign from the universe. You can't party clown properly, until you process your emotions, know what I'm saying? Otherwise, they'll come back to bite you in the ass.Or I mean, pop some pills and drive your car into a lake, whatever kids these days do, you know? </em>"</p><p class="p1">"What," Langa says again, deeply irritated, although he thinks his boss may kind of have a point.</p><p class="p1">"<em>You better be careful, though, boy. I was in the exact same boat as you were 'bout three decades ago. My lady left me for a goddamn salaryman, 'cause she caught me clownin' around with some coke at this boy's bar mitzvah. Bitch,</em>" his boss says, clicking his tongue angrily.</p><p class="p1">Understandable why she'd leave such a charming man, Langa thinks. As long as Langa doesn't do coke at a child's bar mitzvah, chances are Reki won't leave him, then.</p><p class="p1">"I understand, sir," he says. "When's my next job?" he asks.</p><p class="p1">"<em>Oh, no, you're fired again, kid</em>," his boss says, and Langa groans silently, slumping down against the couch.</p><p class="p1">"<em>And I'm not hiring you back again, buddy - you're bad luck for the Clown Crew. Until you confess your love to this person, I'm not letting you come back,</em>"</p><p class="p1">Langa sighs deeply.</p><p class="p1">"I see," he says, feeling a migraine come on.</p><p class="p1">"<em>But you know, kid, let me give you some advice. Never, ever, ever mix booze with -</em>"</p><p class="p1">Langa ends the call before the conversation can get any worse.</p><p class="p1">Reki looks at him expectantly, and Langa sighs.</p><p class="p1">"I'm fired. Permanently," he says, and Reki groans, thudding his head against the wall.</p><p class="p1">"So much for your confession," Reki says, although he doesn't sound too unhappy about it.</p><p class="p1">"It's fine," Langa says, "I'll just have to find a different job," he says.</p><p class="p1">"That sucks," Reki says, frowning. "Look, Langa... I know you want to do something big for this person but... do you know if they'd even really want that? Because you're kind of putting yourself through hell for this..."</p><p class="p1">At this, Langa frowns, resting his chin on his knees.</p><p class="p1">"I don't know," he says, plainly. "I wanted to do something for them, because this person has helped me so much, and I love them, but I don't know what they'd want, to be honest,"</p><p class="p1">Reki hums contemplatively.</p><p class="p1">"I mean, I know I definitely wouldn't care about whether it was a big thing or not. It's the thought that counts, you know?" Reki says, shrugging, the tips of his ears turning red.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, but you're too selfless, Reki," Langa says bluntly, thoughtlessly, "You should just let people do nice things for you if they want to."</p><p class="p1">Reki blinks at that, and his face flushes deeply.</p><p class="p1">"Wait, what?" Reki asks, and Langa blinks back at him.</p><p class="p1">"What?" he asks, and Reki shakes his head like there's water in his ears.</p><p class="p1">"Nothing, just... the way that you put that made it sound like you were doing all this for me," he says, laughing nervously.</p><p class="p1">Langa frowns, staring at him, and Reki's golden eyes dart around, chewing at the indentation on his bottom lip. Langa wants to kiss it more than anything in this world.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, nevermind," Reki says hurriedly, just as Langa says, "I am."</p><p class="p1">"What?" Reki says, eyes wide, and Langa stands up quickly, striding forward so that he's directly in front of Reki, his face not even an inch away from Reki's, the smell of strawberries, soda, and Axe overpowering. It smells like heaven, Langa thinks blearily, the ceiling tipping.</p><p class="p1">Like heaven, he thinks, Reki's eyes glittering like stars, swirling in front of his eyes, like the entire universe is pouring back and forth between their eyes.</p><p class="p1">"Langa, oh shit - " Reki's voice garbles, and Langa blacks out again, slumping onto Reki limply.</p><p class="p1">Stupid and clueless, Reki thinks.</p><p class="p1">He's<em> so</em> fucking stupid and <em>so</em> fucking clueless.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Reki calls Langa's mom, Nanako, and she arrives at their door not even ten minutes later, looking frantic.</p><p class="p1">"Langa!" she cries, spotting Langa laying on the couch with an ice pack on his head.</p><p class="p1">"I think he's concussed, Mrs. Hasegawa," Reki says apologetically.</p><p class="p1">"I see," she says, chewing on her bottom lip. She's pacing nervously, wringing her hands around.</p><p class="p1">"Do you want something to drink, Mrs. Hasegawa?" Reki asks, placing a hand on her shoulder.</p><p class="p1">"<em>Oh</em>, call me Nanako, Reki," she says, smiling anxiously at him, twisting some of her brown hair in her hands.</p><p class="p1">"Okay, uh - Nanako, do you want some water? Coffee? Juice?" Reki offers, looking through their pantry.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, no, no, I'm okay, thank you, Reki," she says, "I just - I need to get him in my car," she says, wiping her hands on her pants and starting towards Langa's limp body. She knocks shoulders with the Chompy costume, and stumbles back, clearly startled.</p><p class="p1">Reki blinks at Langa, in just his briefs on the couch, and looks back at her.</p><p class="p1">Reki leans down and hefts his arms under Langa's armpits, grunting, Langa's legs dragging on the floor. <em>Christ</em>, what does this guy eat to be so goddamn heavy?</p><p class="p1">"Oh!" Nanako says, looking guilty, "I'll get his legs!" she says, wincing as she grabs Langa's legs.</p><p class="p1">"Are you sure, um, Nanako?" Reki asks, "I can do it," he says, but Nanako shakes her head, smiling at Reki.</p><p class="p1">"I'm okay, Reki," she says. With some amount of struggle, they load Langa into the backseat of the car, and place a blanket over him.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, no, this looks like a crime," Nanako says, laughing nervously.</p><p class="p1">Reki's not sure how to respond to that.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, I'm sorry," he settles on saying, and Nanako waves her hands at him.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, no, I'm sorry, that was a morbid joke! Stupid me!" she says, laughing, and Reki laughs slightly back, trying to make the mood slightly lighter. She's nothing like Langa in personality, but they look alike, with the same pale skin, sharp jawline, and glittering eyes.</p><p class="p1">"Really, thank you for taking care of Langa, though," she says, tilting her head to the side and smiling gently at Reki, and <em>oh</em>, that's the similarity.</p><p class="p1">Reki's face heats up, and he grins. "No problem, Nanako," he says, and she pats his shoulder.</p><p class="p1">In the backseat, Langa stirs, groaning.</p><p class="p1">"Mom," he says, and Nanako blinks, rushing over to him.</p><p class="p1">"Langa!" she says, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Oh, you're burning up!"</p><p class="p1">Langa grunts at her, and she plants a kiss on his forehead.</p><p class="p1">"Okay, come on, we'll get you to the doctor, okay? You might have a concussion, Reki said, so we'll get you checked out," she says, and Langa nods slowly.</p><p class="p1">"Reki," Langa says, turning his head to make piercing eye contact with Reki, and Reki's face burns.</p><p class="p1">"Feel better soon, Langa," he says, looking down at his shoes. It comes out gruffer than he means it to.</p><p class="p1">Langa stares at him, blue eyes hazy, and his tongue darts out to swipe at his mouth, a bead of sweat running down his bare chest.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, see you later, Langa" Reki says, and quickly turns around, hurriedly darting back into his house.</p><p class="p1">He slams the door behind himself, panting, and slumps down.</p><p class="p1">Reki is so, so, <em>so</em> fucked.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">"Well, well, well," Langa's ex-boss says, twiddling this thumbs at Langa menacingly. "Look at what the cat dragged in, eh?" he says, chuckling darkly.</p><p class="p1">"The cat?" Langa asks, unsure of the metaphor, and his boss sighs, lighting up a cigarette.</p><p class="p1">"So, you're ready to confront your feelings about this person, and dedicate yourself to clownery, huh?" his boss says, leaning back in his spinny chair and nearly tipping over.</p><p class="p1">Langa's not sure about the "dedicating himself to clownery" bit, but he does want to confront his feelings about Reki head on.</p><p class="p1">He's in love with Reki - it seems so <em>obvious</em>, in retrospect. Of course, he is - handsome, optimistic, never-ending, infinite Reki. Reki, his skating soulmate. What the hell else could he be, but in love with Reki? He gets a concussion, and Reki's standing over him, looking like heaven incarnate - what's there not to love about Reki?</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," he says, watching his boss right himself with a huff. "I'm ready."</p><p class="p1">"Tell you what kid, if you do it in the next two days, I'll give you a raise, and I'll let you be Klammy again - this new guy, he's a total fuckin' ham." his boss says, snorting.</p><p class="p1">Frankly, after Chompy, Klammy sounds awfully appealing - he can at least avoid <em>physical</em>, if not emotional injury in the Klammy costume. And a raise? That's incredible, he thinks. Or maybe his standards have just been lowered so vastly that he thinks it is. Either way, he'll do it.</p><p class="p1">"Absolutely, sir. I'll have it done by tomorrow," he says, and his boss takes a puff of his cigarette and shoving the manila folder labeled "KLAMMY" towards Langa</p><p class="p1">"Don't fail me, boy," he says, and Langa scurries out the door, his skateboard under one arm, the manila folder under the other, and filled with a new resolve.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Reki doesn't see Langa for three whole days after that, which is practically a month in Langa-and-Reki time.</p><p class="p1">Reki's been pacing around his room - his mom told him to stop, that he'd burn a hole in the carpet, and honestly Reki wouldn't even mind that. He needs something to snap him out of the flurry in his mind, because Langa started working as a party clown for <em>him</em>? For <em>Reki</em>?</p><p class="p1">That's so astoundingly stupid, Reki can barely breath - or maybe that's because he's been burying his head in the couch where Langa was sweating all over for the past hour.</p><p class="p1">And then the doorbell rings.</p><p class="p1">Reki's heart leaps into his throat, and he races to go get it, but is beaten by his mother.</p><p class="p1">"Langa! Oh honey, what happened to your head?" Reki hears her ask, and he can practically see Langa's blank expression, how he'd touch his forehead gingerely and say, "Oh, this?"</p><p class="p1">"Langa!" Reki yells, skidding to a halt in front of the doorframe. "Are you okay?" he asks, and Langa, who's got a strip of gauze wrapped around his head, stumbles backwards, out of the way of Reki's warpath.</p><p class="p1">"I'm okay, Reki. Are you?" he asks, raising a brow at Reki's flushed face and mussed up hair.</p><p class="p1">Reki blushes, and tries to ruffle his hair into a marginally more flattering style. Langa smiles fondly at the sight.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah, uh, so, wait, can we - can we talk, Langa?" Reki asks, chewing on his bottom lip, and Langa frowns.</p><p class="p1">"Sure, what's up?" he asks.</p><p class="p1">Reki hears a shuffle, and sees the top of his mom's head poke out from behind the corner.</p><p class="p1">"In my room," he growls, dragging Langa by the hand to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.</p><p class="p1">"And no listening at the door!" he says, opening the door to his mom and his eldest sister stumbling forward, looking sheepish. His mother pretends to poke at some invisible dust on the wall, and his sister whistles. <em>Idiots</em>, Reki thinks fondly.</p><p class="p1">"Shoo!" he says, and they scatter quickly, whispering to each other.</p><p class="p1">He shuts the door, exhaling loudly, and turns to Langa, who's sitting on his bed like he belongs there. Oh boy, he thinks to himself, here goes nothing.</p><p class="p1">"So, uh, a couple of days ago -" Reki starts, but Langa holds a hand up.</p><p class="p1">"Wait, I have to say something first, before we talk about anything," he says, and Reki raises an eyebrow.</p><p class="p1">"What? Okay, fine," he says, crossing his arms and leaning back against his desk.</p><p class="p1">Langa takes a deep breath, and places a hand over his heart, and Reki's brows both shoot up. What the hell is this?</p><p class="p1">"Dude..." he starts, placing his hands on his desk to balance his buckling knees.</p><p class="p1">"Reki, I love you," Langa blurts, "and I wanted to do something special for your birthday in a week, but I got fired from my job, so now I can't," he says. "How do you feel?"</p><p class="p1">Reki feels like he's going to have a fucking heart attack.</p><p class="p1">"I - oh my God, I was going to talk to you about that, dumbass" he chokes out, and Langa frowns.</p><p class="p1">"Dumbass?" he asks petulantly, and Reki can't help the breathless laugh that escapes his mouth.</p><p class="p1">"I, uh - yeah, I feel the same way, Langa," he says, and Langa's eyes brighten, sparkling like a lake in sunshine, and he practically jumps forward, grabbing Reki's hands, slotting his fingers betwen Reki's own.</p><p class="p1">He grins widely at Reki, and leans forward, his nose brushing against Reki's and Reki nearly collapses from the proximity. Langa's hand moves to his lower back to support him, and Reki wheezes.</p><p class="p1">"So, uh - what, are we boyfriends now?" he asks, and Langa's grin widens.</p><p class="p1">"Yeah," he says, his breath warm on Reki's mouth, hand firm on his back "and I have my job back too, so I'll have something amazing ready for my boyfriend's birthday,"</p><p class="p1">"Wait, Langa," Reki says, laughing, tilting his head back, "by the way, my birthday isn't for another six months,"</p><p class="p1">"What?" Langa says, freezing, looking horrified.</p><p class="p1">"Uh, yeah," Reki says, snorting, "I don't know where you got that idea,"</p><p class="p1">"Wha - but, your mom's planner..." Langa says, trailing off.</p><p class="p1">"Oh, shit, you must've spotted my dad's birthday, dude," Reki says, laughing even harder. Langa flushes.</p><p class="p1">"Great," he says, "so I got my job back for nothing."</p><p class="p1">Langa looks miserable at the prospect, and Reki leans forward and plants a gentle kiss on his mouth. It's quick, and chaste, but Langa immediately grins, and moves forward to catch Reki in a deeper kiss, pressing him up against the desk solidly. <em>Whoa</em>, Reki thinks, twisting a hand in Langa's hair, this is <em>very</em> <em>nice</em>. He can feel Langa's heartbeat pulsing against his own, hard and steady like a drum, like lightning - with how close they are, it's hard to tell the difference between their bodies, though.</p><p class="p1">"Your Chompy costume is still in the kitchen, by the way," Reki says, pulling away and running his fingers in what he hopes is a comforting gesture through Langa's hair. Langa hums, pressing his scalp further into the touch, wrapping his arms around Reki's torso tightly.</p><p class="p1">"Wow, I can't believe I'm dating a certified clown," Reki says, chest vibrating with peals of laughter, and Langa grumbles, resting his head against Reki's shoulder.</p><p class="p1">"Party clown," Langa corrects, and Reki laughs, leaning down to kiss him again.</p><p class="p1">"My beloved party clown," Reki agrees, "now come on, go put on thatChompy the Cheese Whiz costume and we'll make out on my bed, yeah?"</p><p class="p1">Langa chokes, turning bright red, and doesn't stop coughing until Reki performs the Heimlich maneuver on him.</p><p class="p1">"I'm Klammy now, anyways," Langa says miserably, once he stops hacking up a lung, and now Reki's the one who starts choking.</p><p class="p1">Because in the end, they're both clowns anyways.</p><p class="p2"> </p>
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